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And it showed.
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From where she stood she could see the container of extra
26
drumsticks affi xed to the stand to Damien’s right. He wore black
27
fi ngerless gloves and no shirt. Sweaty. He sang along on the
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01
chorus and occasionally took a line or two on his own. He had
02
a good voice. Slow and a little whiskey and smoke. Like he was.
03
Paddy had a knockout stage presence. He was every inch the
04
frontman. He cocked his head, letting his hair fall forward over
05
one eye. He crooned, the gravel in his voice bringing sighs and
06
hoots from the women in the audience.
07
Vaughan had his own way. No less sexy than the others, but
08
with a sort of laid- back ease the other two didn’t have. He
09
grinned when the women threw their panties on stage.
10
“Who does that?” Jules’s lip curled.
11
Mary tended to agree that it was gross and lacking self-
12
respect. But she was also lucky enough to have spent many hours
13
naked and sweaty with one of the Hurley brothers. She didn’t
14
blame other women for wanting a slice.
15
“Doesn’t look like they fi nd it to be a hardship.” Cal shrugged,
16
kissing Jules’s temple as she sniffed her annoyance.
17
“Is he, like . . . that energetic in bed?” Daisy asked, watch-
18
ing Damien play the drums like a madman.
19
“He’s certainly that creative.” Mary knew she was grinning
20
but she couldn’t help it. “He’s really good with his hands.”
21
And other parts. All his parts really.
22
“Damn.”
23
“Yeah. Usually I’m the one that sweaty when he’s fi nished.
24
If I had any muscle control left I’d totally use my lighter.”
25
Daisy laughed, her arm linked with Mary’s. “We need to
26
have a long, graphic discussion when we get back home. Levi
27
is, um, enthusiastic about hotel sex. Who knew? His house is
28S
way nicer than our hotel room, for goodness sake. But he’s keep-
29N
ing me nice and relaxed. I fi gure it’ll be a chore to get you away
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from sex dude over there so you can tell me when we get back.
01
Then I want every single detail.”
02
“I’d say something like how it wasn’t as exciting as you made
03
it out to be. But I’d be lying.”
04
“Gurl.”
05
She nodded at Daisy. “I am
not
exaggerating. Anyway.” Her
06
gaze went back to him. He was so sexy she could barely stand
07
it. She wondered if he’d feel odd if she wanted to lick him. He
08
was sweaty and it should have been gross. But it so was
not
.
09
Probably not. He liked sex. He hadn’t shown anything less
10
than total enthusiasm for it in whatever manner it came.
11
He was sort of feral up there. So much energy. Legs moving.
12
Arms moving. His biceps actually rippled as he played. His tat-
13
toos glistened under the lights.
14
Something south of her belly button might have actually
15
pulsed. Good gracious.
16
She was going to have to jump him the fi rst opportunity she
17
got and that was all there was to it.
18
And when the audience sang along with “Lay Back,” one of
19
their biggest hits, it was different for her. After their conversa-
20
tion the night before she watched them from a totally new per-
21
spective.
22
He turned to catch her eye as she sang along too. He grinned
23
and she grinned back. Their connection surprised her because
24
it was so unexpected. He got to her without even trying.
25
They fi nished their set and exited on the side where she
26
waited. He tossed his sticks out into the audience and then
27
headed right to her, kissing her hard and fast, leaving her even
S28
more breathless.
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“You were on fi re out there.”
02
He tried to step back, but she kept her arms around his waist
03
to hold him in place. “I’m getting you sweaty. Sorry.”
04
She gave him a smile, sending one brow up. “Don’t be sorry.
05
I’ve been sweaty ever since you started playing.”
06
He laughed. “Oh, so it’s that way?”
07
She shrugged. “Does that make me a deviant?”
08
“Whatever it makes you, I’m glad of it. I do need to clean
09
up. Just for like ten minutes. I’m playing Adrian’s set too.”
10
“I’ll be here.”
11
He leaned in close. “I’d invite you back. You know how much
12
I like you wet. But my brothers are around.”
13
“You can get me wet later.”
14
“That’s a promise I’m going to make you keep.”
15
She watched him retreat. He had a really nice back. Damn.
16
It was fascinating to watch them take down Sweet Hollow
17
Ranch’s gear and put Adrian’s out. People were everywhere
18
seemingly all at once. Techs brought out and tested various gui-
19
tars. Microphones were being checked.
20
She’d seen it before when she’d been in the audience. But it
21
was different here. So close she could see it better. See the hive
22
of activity in the wings and back behind curtains. She’d had no
23
idea that there were things beneath the stage as well.
24
Like a whole secret world she now had access to. Crazy and
25
awesome.
26
Brody had Rennie on one side and Elise on the other. Rennie
27
had cool headphones on to protect her hearing. Miles had them
28S
too. Todd and Ben were on the other side of the stage, keeping
29N
an eye on Erin in their way. The area was positively awash with
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friends and family and it made Mary so happy for Gillian and
01
Miles. So much love and support. They both deserved it so much.
02
Adrian’s CD had dropped just two weeks before— much to
03
Adrian’s relief, Mary knew— and had skyrocketed up the charts,
04
dominating everything in its path. The double CD was full of
05
material about the change in Adrian’s life. About fi nding love
06
both with Gillian and his son. About bitterness and fi nding sal-
07
vation in those you loved.
08
Mary adored that CD and not just because it was about
09
people she cared for. There was an energy in the music that she’d
10
connected with. A joy in creation. She was thrilled to be part
11
of it.
12
13
14
Damien avoided the women who always seemed to make their
15
way backstage no matter how much security was in place. He
16
smiled at them, nodded but kept walking.
17
He had company for that night, thank you very much, and
18
no plans to fuck that up. Especially after that scene the night
19
before with the two chicks outside the restaurant.
20
Mary was a classy woman. She’d take one look at this insan-
21
ity and run. So he went straight to the dressing room, showered,
22
chugged a protein shake to get his system back on track and
23
headed back up to where she was.
24
“Hey, Damien.”
25
Shit. What was her name? Lisa? Sandy? He smiled at a
26
woman he partially remembered having given him a blow job
27
last tour. Maybe. She looked familiar enough. A little bit of guilt S28
lay in his belly. It wasn’t much fair to her either.
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“Hey.” He nodded with a smile and kept walking. She caught
02
up and he slowed down, not wanting to come up the stairs and
03
have Mary see.
04
“What are you up to?”
05
“Gotta run, back on stage for Adrian’s set in two minutes.
06
Have a good one.”
07
She got it, he could tell. It made him feel like an asshole,
08
which his mother had been saying for a while. But now he knew
09
Mary and she’d given him some perspective.
10
Sure, it was early with her and all. But not so early he couldn’t
11
tell it was different than all the women before. And not so dif-
12
ferent he didn’t know instinctively that Mary would hate this
13
part of his world. He never wanted to hurt her.
14
He waved and kept walking. She peeled off and headed back
15
down to the hallway they’d come from and he moved toward
16
the best part of the tour.
17
He put an arm around her waist when he got back and she
18
smiled up at him, leaning into his body.
19
“I’m disappointed you’re not sweaty anymore.”
20
“You are? God, why? I’m a beast when we get off stage. You
21
don’t want any of it, I promise.”
22
She tiptoed up and he bent to hear.
23
“It was hot. Really, really hot to see you so sweaty from play-
24
ing drums. I wanted to take a long lick.”
25
A shiver went through him. “Ah. Well, next time then. Or
26
you can watch me practice and in private you can lick me. Long
27
as I can lick you right back.”
28S
Her laugh was low and sultry and she made him happy.
29N
He stepped away, needing to get back into the right head space.
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• • •
02
Damien put his rock star back on and Mary gave him the room
03
to do it, fascinated as she watched. Adrian approached. He
04
was . . . different. Wearing a different face. His performance face 05
maybe, but damn, he was sexy. He moved to Gillian, taking her
06
into a big hug. He spoke quietly in her ear and she blushed.
07
Erin didn’t look a whole lot different than she normally did.
08
She tended to wear that otherness more boldly.
09
She nodded at Damien and grinned over at Adrian and Gil-
10
lian. “You all ready?”
11
Across the stage Brody had come out with Martine and Ben
12
held Alexander. Both little ones wore big headphones as well.
13
Erin waved at them all. “Swiss Family Rock Star. We’re like
14
the Waltons of rock and roll.”
15
Mary laughed. “Totally.”
16
The lights went down and the excitement and tension back-
17
stage ramped up. Erin had her eyes closed, her head was down
18
and she patted a little pattern on the thigh of her jeans.
19
Damien rolled his head on his shoulders and Adrian bounced
20
up and down a few times.
21
“Ladies and gentlemen, Adrian Brown.”
22
The crowd roared and the lights fl ashed as he jogged out,
23
waving. Erin followed and then Damien got behind his drum
24
set testing them, delighting the fans.
25
They launched into an old Mud Bay song, the band Erin and
26
Adrian started many years ago when they were little more than
27
kids.
S28
One of Mary’s favorites, too.
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She danced around, waving her arms, clapping and having
02
a great time. Vaughan and Paddy joined them, bracketing her